Article: The Secrets of Tom Brady's Personal Trainer

[PatsWickedPissah]

I love when people like Quantum disagree with fact and then can't be bothered to offer up any sort of rebuttal..

You made the science unsupported claim about PH levels. Ball's in your court.
I Agree with cases of personal intolerance to foods. Not clear what the precise specific personal rejection is caused by.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Well, first off, digestion doesn't start in your stomach. It actually starts in your mouth. Maybe that is part of your misunderstanding..

I have a degree in biochemistry. Let's talk actual science and not nonsense, please. If you've got some mystical "understanding" - then go for it.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The whole "acidic foods do X, Y, and Z because they change your blood pH" argument is one that, as others have discussed, makes no sense whatsoever and I believe in many cases it has been clinically tested and the hypothesis failed.

I don't know if Guerrero makes the particular argument that "acidic foods cause cancer" and that "an alkaline diet" will keep you cancer-free, but it is one that I hear all of the time.

Like most myths, it has a kernel of truth in there somewhere, drowned out by ridiculousness.

In the 1920s and 1930s the German biochemist Otto Warburg studied properties of cancer cells and determined that most tumors rely on the primitive energy pathway glycolysis, rather than oxidative phosphorylation (Krebs cycle), to produce ATP. Thus they consume large amounts of glucose to make ATP, while producing lactic acid (the end product of glycolysis). The take-home: cancer cells produce lactic acid. They produce so much of it, in fact, that they pump it out by active transport. This makes the extracellular space around tumors slightly lower in pH (more acidic).

An interesting idea is to block the lactic acid export pumps in tumor cells, making tumors unable to maintain an INTERNAL pH that permits survival, but I digress...

Back to the point: most tumors produce acid.

Cart-before-the-horse thinking, and a money-making opportunity, have prompted some to turn this truth on it head and say that "acidic blood causes tumors" rather than the reality, that tumors are producing detectable amounts of lactic acid.

That's exactly where the idea of associating cancer risk and acidic foods come from, and it's a total crock. The idea has then extended to inflammation, aging, and who knows what else. Anything to take money from a scared consumer.

 

[DaBruinz]

I have a degree in biochemistry. Let's talk actual science and not nonsense, please. If you've got some mystical "understanding" - then go for it.

So you have a degree in Biochemistry. How does that change the fact that the digestive process actually starts in your mouth? Where complex carbohydrates are broken down?

 

[DaBruinz]

You made the science unsupported claim about PH levels. Ball's in your court.
I Agree with cases of personal intolerance to foods. Not clear what the precise specific personal rejection is caused by.

It would be nice if you actually read what was said and didn't assume some whack job claim. I said for some people. And no, it's not science unsupported. Just like it's not "science-unsupported" that everyone reacts differently to medications. Just like it's not "science-unsupported" that everyone's body reacts differently to the foods they consume.

If everyone's bodies reacted the same we wouldn't have nearly the number of "side-effects" on drugs. No one would have allergies..

So, instead of make broad-based claims, it would help to put things in perspective.. If you can't do that, then why get into the conversation.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Digestion indeed starts in your mouth.

However.... very little absorption of drugs, food, or nutrients occurs in your mouth unless you force it to do so- keeping material under your tongue and avoiding swallowing, for example forces sublingual absorption. A few drugs, like asenapine, are given that way.

If you eat food or take a pill you generally swallow it and it goes into your very acidic stomach. If it used to be alkaline, it ain't no more. Some things get absorbed there and are very rapidly and completely neutralized in the blood. Most things, however, pass to the small intestine, which is held at a much higher and near-neutral pH, and are absorbed there. If it used to be acidic, it ain't no more. If it used to be alkaline, it ain't no more. Once the nutrient hits your blood it has no memory of what its pH was way back when you ate it.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

So you have a degree in Biochemistry. How does that change the fact that the digestive process actually starts in your mouth? Where complex carbohydrates are broken down?

Did you even read my original post?

I'd like a simple explanation from Guerrero why balancing food acidity is a viable means of healthful living when every bite of food is immediately pitched into your stomach's gastric juices, which are pH 1.5 or so. What alkaline effect is able to carry over to the rest of the body after that stage of the digestive process?

You've already veered so far as to seem like you're flailing to make a point.

 

[DaBruinz]

Oh god, I hate stuff like this:


That's total BS. Perhaps the one thing your body works the hardest and best at is maintaining pH in a tight range. There's nothing you can eat or drink (in a non-pathological fashion) that will budge your pH outside a very narrow range. And even if you somehow could knock it outside that range you'd likely be in a world of hurt.

For example, your entire breathing drive is based on pH. As CO2 builds up it makes your blood slightly more acidic and your body's sensing of that is what prompts you to breathe. (It's not the lack of oxygen, it's the incrementally extra CO2 dissolved in your blood. And in fact sometimes free divers who intensely hyperventilate before diving end up dying because they run out of oxygen before their pH has dropped enough for them to feel they need to breathe.)

Seems that there are plenty of people who are "in a world of hurt" since there are plenty of sites (non-quackery) that talk about the different things that can cause pH issues in people.

Also, I think you are missing the point that many people eat an acid based diet and that forces the body to work harder to keep the pH in the normal range. By adjusting your diet accordingly, your body doesn't have to work as hard. If the body isn't working as hard to keep the pH level balanced, then it can focus energy on other systems that work to keep the body healthy.

Overview of Acid-Base Balance - Hormonal and Metabolic Disorders - Merck Manuals Consumer Version

Alkalize Your Way to Amazing Health

Acidosis

The Science of Breathing

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Except that I can point to my mother and my mother-in-law who can no longer eat Tomatoes because it does cause them inflammation in their joints. Is eating Tomatoes the ROOT CAUSE? Nope. But that is the result when they do eat them..

Yes, people have unusual food intolerances, sometimes idiosyncratic. But that has nothing to do with the weird acid/alkali theories that this guy propounds. What I object to is his trying to cloak his claims in pseudo-scientific verbiage.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think this is a pretty good take:

Alex Guerrero: A doctor’s take on Tom Brady’s body coach​

There is a pretty big issue with what the doctor writes:

"No, the biggest problem I have with Alex Guerrero is that, while he and Tom Brady seem to really believe in their methods and outcomes, they don’t study and share them. They continue to profit from non-proven treatments, supplements, and other therapies and none of those profits seem to be invested in studying their efficacy."

How does she know that they don't study the methods and outcomes? Because Guerrero hasn't written a "peer-reviewed paper"?

The Patriots are a $1.5B Sports Franchise. Strength and Conditioning and well as injuries and injury care are a huge part of that. I'd be willing to bet that the Team Doctor as well as their S&C coaches are all over exactly what each player is doing and what the outcome is. I bet they have it recorded as well and have incorporated quite a bit of it.. Hence the reason the Patriots saw such a drastic decrease in injuries last season after the change of S&C coaches.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yes, people have unusual food intolerances, sometimes idiosyncratic. But that has nothing to do with the weird acid/alkali theories that this guy propounds. What I object to is his trying to cloak his claims in pseudo-scientific verbiage.

Except Guerrero didn't link tomatoes to acid/alkali theories. He said they, along with Peppers, mushrooms and other foods can cause inflammation.

There are several things that Guerrero is spouting that people are claiming are falsehoods or "pseudo-science".
- the acid/alkali theories
- that certain foods cause inflammation (Nightshades).

The acid/alkali theories are ones that haven't been born out yet, though there haven't been any major studies in the regard. As I mentioned in another post, however, there are plenty of legitimate sites that talk about how hard the body has to work because of the acidic diets people tend to eat and that adjusting the diet can help the body not work as hard. And by not working as hard, then it might be less susceptible to illness.

There are plenty of people in the world who have the reaction of inflammation or their inflammation exacerbated in their joints to eating things like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes. I gave examples of two people who have that. People think that the foods are the "cause" of the issue, but the reality is that the "cause" is whatever ailment. The food is just an agitator.

As has been pointed out, it wasn't that long ago that Chiropractors were thought to be charlatans. That people practicing acupuncture were thought to be quacks despite it being used for thousands of years. That physcologist were worthless.

Heck, it wasn't that long ago that yoga and professional dancing was looked upon by the professional sports community as something beneath them.. Now, yoga and the pliability training is nearly mainstream because people have realized how much they didn't know.

 

[tom444]

I don't see this posted. Thought some might find it interesting.

The Secrets of Tom Brady's Personal Trainer

This is what I find the most interesting:

"Guerrero believes that we can't let our bodies dictate what we can or can't do. Before I could get my heel to start recovering, he explained, I needed to convince my brain to "reclaim" it. Everything I did, from deep-tissue massage to accelerated weight bearing (the antigravity treadmill) was seemingly designed to send a message to my heel that it was still a part of the team and needed to get off the bench."

It apparently is true that our brain does "cut", my word, new pathways in reaction to learning new things. But I've never heard it being applied in this way.

 

[tom444]

I can tell you with certainty there aren't a lot of Black Dikes skiing at Cannon Mountain.

I think I saw one at Wildcat.

 

[The Brandon Five]

I can tell you with certainty there aren't a lot of Black Dikes skiing at Cannon Mountain.

Yeah, might have more luck closer to Northampton.

 

[patfanken]

I came back to this thread to post the link that Mike the Brit posted in the previous page. I should mentiion that I'm pretty much a fan of Guerrero's work since he started with Willie Mcginest. (something that many forget. That it was Willie who introduced Alex to Tom). I am not one who dwells on his past issues, but rather what he teaches and does now.

That being said, I found Dr. Flynns post to be very measured in her criticisms and well written. What Guererro does is NOT and issue of black and white, and like playing for the Pats, it isn't necessarily for everyone....and that doesn't make you a bad person if it isn't.

I found the discussion on acids vs Alkalides to be interesting and informative on both sides. Personally as long as they make pizza and spaghetti with tomato sauce (and I don't consider anything else pizza or spaghetti) I guess I'm hoping it isn't true.

But I have never heard Guerrero or Brady claim that THEY have the answer to everyone's questions, or their approach is the only one that works. I think Dr. Flynn's criticism of what Alex said about the author's surgeon was overly critical. I didn't get the feeling he was denigrating the surgeon when I read it. The fact is what he said is truth. It's the Doctor's job to protect his work. I wouldn't expect anything else from a surgeon.

In the article Guererro had a different appoach. He seemed to explain why to the climber and let HIM decide if he wanted to continue. He didn't claim the doctor was WRONG. He just pointed out they had 2 different goals from the surgery. The doctor's goal was to get him to walk, while Guerrero's goal was to get him to climb. And bottom line you can't dispute the results......for THIS patient.

At any rate I liked the article, despite the criticism and in case anyone missed it, here's the link again.

Alex Guerrero: A doctor’s take on Tom Brady’s body coach

 

[n1997y]

Well, first off, digestion doesn't start in your stomach. It actually starts in your mouth. Maybe that is part of your misunderstanding..

if you use pineapple or papaya marinade it actually starts before you eat the food. Arguably ceviche might also be considered similarly, but that's really more like cooking without heat (denaturing proteins) rather than digestion (actually cleaving proteins into amino acids enzymatically). And let's not talk about the Southeast Asian fermented fish sauces.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Except Guerrero didn't link tomatoes to acid/alkali theories. He said they, along with Peppers, mushrooms and other foods can cause inflammation.

If you look at published papers (list of abstracts linked below), you will see many dozens claiming that tomato reduces inflammation, and none (that I saw at any rate) claiming tomato causes inflammation:

tomato inflammation - PubMed - NCBI

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yeah, might have more luck closer to Northampton.

Yep. Lots of good hiking near Amherst College

 

[Lavictoire]

As I got into my 60's I used to walk as my primary form of excerise. Usually 3-5 miles a day, and a 17-18 minute miles. My genetics suck so heart desease and circulation problems are creaping up on me. Blood flow to my legs were making my walks 40-60 minutes of mostly discomfort, so I was referred to a Vascular surgeon who recommended vascular surgery (what a shock). What they do now is similar to what they do in an angioplasty, which is run a catheter from you groin (femeral aretery) up into your heart and look around and put in stents or baloon open areteries. Same thing with the legs only in the opposite direction. They go from the left groin to the right leg and visa versa.

A week prior to the first surgery I walked 2 miles every day for 7 days straight. It was painful, but I could do it. I just wasn't having any fun. After the surgery (btw, it's hard to call it "surgery" since you are in by 8am and out by 9pm with most of the time taken by making sure the femeral artery is healing and the sedatives they give you are out of your body), things have dramatically changed.

I can now walk about 200 yds before discomfort sets in, and after about a quarter mile I have to stop and rest for about 5 minutes before can move again.
Right now I'm looking at it taking about a half hour to 45 minutes for me to walk from the parking lot to TC this summer.

So, Guerrero's past might have had some blips, but "convential medicine" by reputable Drs has set me back to almost immobility. If I found out that medicare would pay for sessions at TB 12, I'd be there tomorrow. Why not? Could he do any worse? And at $200 a session it would be a lot less expensive that what regular doctors charge. Christ, I'm paying almost that per appointment and I'm only paying 20%.

Sounds to me that his program is 80% physical work, most of which makes a lot of sense to me, and 20% spiritual/mental crap that is sometimes just as valuable. Better than most doctors who ask you what's wrong and want to give you a pill.

I live in New Hampshire and was thrilled to find out NH allows insurance to cover naturopathic doctors who would take my CIGNA insurance. I had blood pressure problems and needed to recertify my CDL health card but did not want to take medications. I was amazed how the doctor (yes they go to medical school then branch out) sat with me at visits for an hour and totally took the time to learn about me, my history and problems and ask questions and they took extensive notes. No rushing you out the door after five minutes.They did all kinds of tests on my blood and identified certain foods my body reacted negatively to and nutritional deficiencies and within a year my weight came down and blood pressure normalized.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Gee I cannot wait until we discuss what happens in the colon and anus.